The action kicked off this evening with a featherweight bout between Maximo Blanco and Marcus Brimage and ended with a heavyweight bout between Travis Browne and Chad Griggs.

Here is your results and recap:

Maximo Blanco vs. Marcus Brimage
In the opening bout of the evening Ultimate Fighter veteran Marcus Brimage welcomed Maximo Blanco to the UFC. All three rounds were close and they all transpired on the feet. Both fighters mixed footwork and strikes well in entertaining fashion, but it was Brimage who seemed to get the better of the exchanges throughout the course of the fight. In the second frame Blanco was able to land the aggressive power shots we have come to know from him and while it was likely enough to win the round, it wasn’t enough to win the fight and the judges scored in favor of Brimage via split decision.

Chris Clements vs. Keith Wisniewski
Early in the first Wisniewski was able to get the fight to the ground. From there he ate an elbow that cut him open but managed to keep it cool and transition to mount. The two continued to scramble through positions but it was Keith who kept control using superior grappling from top position. Even though the two were active on the ground, the ref opted to stand them up. It was a bad call that definitely shifted the momentum of the round to Clements who was losing until they got stood up. In the second Keith used his grappling again to dictate the pace of the fight, but even when in dominant position the power strikes of Clements from all positions is very noticeable and damaging. In the third Clements turned up the heat and really put on a clinic while on the feet. With 30 seconds left Chris dropped Keith with a barrage of strikes but was unable to seal the deal. It went to the cards and the judges favored the style of Keith Wisniewski and he took home the split decision win.

Mac Danzig vs. Efrain Escudero
In the first fight on FX the two Ultimate Fighter winners engaged in an action packed fight using well rounded MMA skills. In the first Danzig utilized effective clinch work against Escudero to dictate the pace of the fight, but outside of a brief scramble on the ground initiated by a Danzig takedown the first frame left little action to recall. The second was almost identical to the first, minus the takedown. The two came out, Danzig takes center and pushed forward throughout the course of the frame and once again utilized the clinch to dictate the pace of the round. To enter the third we saw a bit more urgency from both sides, but again (and I hate to sound like a broken record) Danzig relied on the clinch to keep Escudero at bay and keep the action stalled out for the course of the final round and the fight overall.

Mac Danzig def. Efrain Escudero (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

John Makdessi vs. Anthony Njokuani
The first round of this lightweight affair left much to be desired. The two fighters for the most part just felt each other out while mixing strikes and circling around the Octagon. No real notable action to speak of but Njokuani did land more effectively and as such should be awarded the first round. Second round was more of the same, but the one item of note is that it would appear as if these two are throwing more kicks than punches. Literally going out and trading kick for kick for the majority of the round, hard to pick a winner in round two, but Anthony looks like he is getting the better of the exchanges, just slightly. Third was much of the same but it’s clear Anthony takes it with a light edge in effectiveness.

Matt Brown vs. Stephen Thompson
This fight is one that delivered action. And how could it not with Matt Brown in the cage? Brown used his cage IQ and Octagon experience to take Thompson out of his comfort zone and take the fight to the mat. They two worked on the ground for the majority of the frame with Brown winning the positional battle. The second frame opened up and after some feeling out “Wonderboy” took control of the standup battle and staggered brown on numerous occasions but failed to seal the deal. Brown eventually found the mark with a counter right hand that dropped Thompson and put him on his back. He jumped on top, postured up and reigned down enough elbows and punches to bust the forehead of Stephen open and likely steal the round. In the third the two slugged it out and so far this was the best fight of the night. Brown is having his way with the takedowns and midway through the final he took him down and worked superior grappling to control the frame. He went for the mounted triangle and trapped Thompson on the mat while blasting him in the head with punches. Victory for Brown is a foregone conclusion at this point.

Travis Browne vs. Chad Griggs
This was a fight that ended nearly as fast as it started. Brown took Griggs out on the fight with a big flying knee, once on the ground he latched on, grabbed an arm triangle and forced Griggs to tap with relative ease.

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